Lens unit and imaging apparatus

ABSTRACT

A lens unit includes: a lens barrel; a movable section including a movable lens and configured to be moved in an optical axis direction relative to the lens barrel; a linear actuator configured to move the movable section in the optical axis direction; and a biasing blade spring including a holding portion for holding the movable section, a plurality of spring portions capable of being elastically deformed and biasing the movable section in the optical axis direction, and an attachment portion to be attached to the lens barrel. The plurality of spring portions of the biasing blade spring are configured to restraint a movement force produced at the movable section in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a lens unit and an imaging apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a lens unit having a movable section and an imaging apparatus including such a lens unit, which allows a reduction of size and an improvement in operation reliability of the movable section.

2. Description of the Related Art

A lens unit, which is constructed by disposing an imaging optical system such as a movable lens in a lens barrel, is included in various types of imaging apparatuses, such as a video camera and a still camera, as well as a mobile phone, etc. An example of such an imaging apparatus is one that is equipped with a movable section having a movable lens for zooming or focusing, in which the movable section can be moved by a linear actuator in the optical axis direction (for example, see Japanese Patent 3387173 and Japanese Patent Application Publication H08-015593).

In such an imaging apparatus, the movable section is supported by a pair of guide shafts, to be movable in the optical axis direction. The movable section is guided by the pair of guide shafts and moved in the optical axis direction by way of the drive power of the linear actuator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In recent years, among such imaging apparatuses mentioned above, portable types have become more popular. Accordingly, it is desirable to further reduce the size of such apparatuses.

However, the above-mentioned imaging apparatus has the guide shaft for guiding the movable section, which has a technical issue that it requires a space for accommodating the guide shaft, thus preventing it from achieving a further reduction of size.

Furthermore, there is provided a clearance of several microns for enabling the movement of the movable section smoothly on the guide shafts between the guide shaft and a bearing section. However, the clearance may also allow minute lateral movement of the movable section and/or inclination of the movable section with respect to the optical axis. Such a lateral movement and inclination of the movable section may cause a deterioration in quality of a captured image because an image focal point may deviate or a so-called image-shake phenomenon where an image in the image focal plane may slightly shake. Particularly, in portable devices, the movement of the movable section within the plane orthogonal to the optical axis direction and the inclination to the optical axis may occur easily due to changes in its orientation or vibrations generated by various disturbances, such as shock and shake applied to the devices, etc.

Furthermore, when the movable section is moved in the optical axis direction in a zoom lens, a focal lens, etc., the movable section needs to be held in a desired position, without producing any small displacement in the optical axis direction.

Accordingly, it is desirable to realize a reduction of size in a lens unit including a movable section and/or an imaging apparatus having such a lens unit. Furthermore, it is desirable to improve the reliability of operation of a movable section included in a lens unit and/or an imaging apparatus including such a lens unit. The present invention is conceived in view of the above-described technical issues.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a lens unit and/or an imaging apparatus including such a lens unit. The lens unit includes: a lens barrel in which an imaging optical system is disposed; a movable section including a movable lens and configured to be moved in an optical axis direction relative to the lens barrel; a linear actuator configured to move the movable section in the optical axis direction; and a biasing blade spring including a holding portion for holding the movable section, a plurality of spring portions capable of being elastically deformed and biasing the movable section in the optical axis direction, and an attachment portion to be attached to the lens barrel; wherein the plurality of spring portions of the biasing blade spring are configured to restrain a movement force produced at the movable section in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the movable section may be formed to have a substantially circular outer shape when viewed along the optical axis direction; the lens barrel may be formed to have a substantially rectangular outer shape when viewed along the optical axis direction; and each of the spring portions of the biasing blade spring may be disposed at a respective one of four corners in the lens barrel.

In another embodiment of the present invention, each of the spring portions may be formed into a form substantially equal to a letter “S”.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a pair of the biasing blade springs may be provided on opposite sides of the movable section in the optical axis direction and spaced apart such that the movable section is positioned between the pair of biasing blade springs, the pair of biasing blade springs forcing the movable section such that the pair of the biasing blade springs approach each other in the optical axis direction.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the spring portions of the pair of biasing blade springs may be provided with line portions respectively extending in predetermined directions; and the pair of biasing blade springs may be configured such that the line portion of one biasing blade spring and the line portion of the other biasing blade spring are perpendicular to each other.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the movable section may be used as a movable section for focusing, the pair of biasing blade springs may be configured to have different spring forces against the movable section; and the movable section may be positioned at an infinite point by way of a biasing force of the biasing blade spring if the linear actuator is not in operation.

In the embodiments of the present invention, the movable section is moved by way of the drive power of the linear actuator in the optical axis direction while the movable section is held by the biasing blade springs.

Accordingly, the movable section may be moved in the optical axis direction without causing the movable section to incline or deviate with respect to the optical axis.

Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention, any guiding means, such as a guide shaft, for guiding the movable section in the optical axis direction is not required. Accordingly, it is possible to achieve a reduction in size by simplifying the mechanism of the lens unit and eliminating the space for such guiding means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment in accordance with the present invention in conjunction with FIG. 2 through FIG. 26, and it is a perspective view showing a mobile phone as an example of an imaging apparatus;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing examples of two-dimensional bar codes;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an imaging unit;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an imaging unit which is partially assembled;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of an imaging unit;

FIG. 6 is a schematically enlarged sectional view of an imaging unit whose movable section is held at an infinite position;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged and exploded perspective view of a lens barrel;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view showing a first member of the lens barrel when viewed from an angle that is different from that of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view showing a second member of the lens barrel when viewed from an angle that is different from that of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a first biasing blade spring;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of a second biasing blade spring;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view showing a lens holder and a coil holder;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged rear view showing a structure where a second biasing blade spring is attached to a coil holder;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective view showing a structure where a first biasing blade spring and a second biasing blade spring are attached to a movable section;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged side view of an imaging unit before adhesion is carried out;

FIG. 16 is a schematic view showing a spatial relationship of a spring portion of a first biasing blade spring to a lens barrel and a movable section;

FIG. 17 is a schematic view showing a spatial relationship of a spring portion of a second biasing blade spring to a lens barrel and a movable section;

FIG. 18 is a schematic enlarged sectional view showing an imaging unit where a movable section is held at a macro end;

FIG. 19 is a schematic representation showing the force generated at each portion such that an optical axis direction is in agreement with a perpendicular direction;

FIG. 20 shows a modification of a biasing blade spring in conjunction with FIG. 21 through FIG. 25, and it is a schematic perspective view showing a biasing blade spring in accordance with a first modification together with a movable section;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged front view showing a biasing blade spring in accordance with a second modification;

FIG. 22 is an enlarged front view showing a portion of a biasing blade spring in accordance with a third modification;

FIG. 23 is an enlarged front view showing a portion of a biasing blade spring in accordance with a fourth modification;

FIG. 24 is an enlarged front view showing a portion of a biasing blade spring in accordance with a fifth modification;

FIG. 25 is an enlarged front view showing a portion of a biasing blade spring in accordance with a sixth modification; and

FIG. 26 is an enlarged sectional view showing an example of an imaging apparatus in which two lens units are provided.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Below, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is applicable to various types of imaging apparatuses, such as a mobile phone, a video camera, a still camera, etc., which have a function of capturing a video or a still image, or to various types of lens units used for these imaging apparatuses.

As an example of an imaging apparatus 1, there is provided a mobile phone, as shown in FIG. 1. The imaging apparatus 1 is such that a first casing 2 and a second casing 3 are combined to form a foldable structure in conjunction with a hinge section 4.

The first casing 2 is provided with a speaker 5, a display section 6, and an antenna 7. This antenna 7 is configured to be extendable.

The second casing 3 is provided with various types of operating units 8, including a push button, a rotary dial, a microphone 9 and the like.

An imaging unit 10 is built into the hinge section 4. One of the operating units 8, for example, a push button, may be preset to function for an image capture operation. By pressing and operating this operating unit 8, the imaging unit 10 is operated to capture an image.

The imaging apparatus 1 also has a function to read out and identify information, such as various types of identification displays, which may include a one-dimensional bar code, two-dimensional bar codes 1000 and 2000 (see FIG. 2), etc. When images of these bar codes are captured by the imaging unit 10, the code patterns are identified and information based on the identified code pattern is read out.

Next, an example of a structure of the imaging unit 10 is described. It should be noted that, for convenience, the description will be carried out assuming that the optical axis direction (identified by S as shown in FIG. 3) is the forward/rearward direction and an object to be imaged is in the front side.

The imaging unit 10 is configured such that respective constituting portions are disposed in a lens barrel 11, which is formed by a lens unit 10 a and an imaging section including an imager device (described later). The lens barrel 11 is configured such that a first member 12 and a second member 13 are sequentially combined (see FIG. 3 through FIG. 6). The first member 12 and the second member 13 are formed of resin material, such as polycarbonate, etc.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first member 12 is integrally formed with a base side section 14 facing forward and rearward, projections 15 projecting rearward from right and left edges of the base side section 14, and mating projections 16 projecting rearward from central portions of the upper and lower edges of the base side section 14.

A shallow and annular receiving recess 17 is formed at a front side 14 a of the base side section 14 (see FIG. 7). A through hole 18 bored in the forward/rearward direction is formed in the central portion of the base side section 14.

Ribs 19 projecting rearward are provided in positions around the through hole 18 at a rear surface 14 b of the base side section 14 (see FIG. 8). The ribs 19 are formed in a circular form, provided in a circumferential direction at regular intervals, and respectively have pedestals 19 a slightly projecting rearward on their rear surfaces. When the movable section, as will be described later, is moved forward, the pedestals 19 a are allowed in contact with the movable section, and they have a function to restrain forward movement of the movable section. A position where the movable section comes into contact with the pedestals 19 a is considered as the macro end in a focusing operation.

It should be noted that in the imaging apparatus 1, as will be described later, by supplying a current to a drive coil, a linear actuator is driven such that the movable section is moved from an infinite point side to the macro end side. Alternatively, by controlling an amount of the current to be supplied, the movable section may be allowed to move to in front of the position where it comes into contact with the pedestals 19 a, and such a front position may be set as the macro end, which is a front side of the moving edge of the movable section.

The projections 15 of the first member 12 are respectively formed with three vertically continuous sections, upper projections 20, middle projections 21, and lower projections 22, in the order from top to bottom (see FIGS. 7 and 8).

Concave positioning portions 20 a and 22 a, which open laterally and rearward, are formed on external surfaces of rear ends of the upper projections 20 and rear ends of the lower projections 22, respectively (see FIG. 8).

An amount of rearward projection of one of the upper projections 20 and one of the lower projections 22 is larger than that of the other. Outer edges of such further projected portions are formed as spring receiving surfaces 20 b.

The amounts of rearward projections of the middle projections 21 from the base side section 14 are arranged to be smaller than the amounts of rearward projections of the upper projections 20 and the lower projections 22 from the base side section 14. In the middle projections 21, notched portions 21 a which respectively open rearward are formed at central portions with respect to the vertical direction.

The upper, lower, and both side ends of the rear surface 14 b of the base side section 14 are formed as four spring holding surfaces 14 c (see FIG. 8). The spring holding surfaces 14 c are respectively located between the upper projections 20 and the mating projection 16 and between the lower projections 22 and the mating projection 16.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the second member 13 is integrally formed with a base side portion 23 facing forward and rearward, projections 24 each projecting rearward from the upper and lower sides of the base side portion 23, and mating projections 25 each projecting rearward from the central portions of the right and left edges of the base side portion 23.

A shallow and rectangular mounting recess 26 is formed at a back side 23 a of the base side portion 23 (see FIG. 9). A light transmitting hole 27 bored forward and rearward is formed in the central portion of the base side portion 23. The backside 23 a of the base side portion 23 is provided with positioning projections 28 projecting rearward, respectively, at the four corners.

Ribs 29 projecting forward are provided in positions around the light transmitting hole 27 at a front side 23 b of the base side portion 23 (see FIG. 7). Front sides of the ribs 29 are provided with pedestals 29 a slightly projecting forward, in a circumferential direction of the light transmitting hole 27 at separated positions. When the movable section is moved rearward, the pedestals 29 a are contacted with the movable section and have a function to restrain rearward movement of the movable section. A position where the movable section comes into contact with the pedestals 29 a serves as the infinite point for the focusing operation.

The front side 23 b of the base side portion 23 is provided, at its right and left side ends, with positioning pins 30 spaced vertically (see FIG. 7). The sides, provided with the positioning pins 30 of the front side 23 b of the base side portion 23 are formed as the spring receiving surfaces 23 c.

A right side 23 d of the base side portion 23 is provided with terminal mounting sections 31, which are spaced vertically.

The projections 24 of the second member 13 are provided as protrusions 32 such that a portion closer to the left side end and a portion closer to the right side end further protrude forward out than other portions. End sides of the protrusions 32 are respectively formed as spring holding surfaces 32 a (see FIG. 7).

Positioning projection 33 projecting forward are respectively provided in the position immediately below the upper protrusions 32 and in the position immediately above the lower protrusions 32.

Notched portions 25 a, which open rearward, are formed at the mating projections 25, respectively.

A cover glass 34 is attached, for example, by way of adhesion to the receiving recess 17 which is formed at the front side 14 a of the first member 12 (see FIG. 3 through FIG. 5).

A first biasing blade spring 35 is attached to the lens barrel 11 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

The first biasing blade spring 35 is formed of a metal material which is rich in elasticity, such as beryllium, copper, etc. The thickness direction of the first biasing blade spring 35 may be matched or substantially matched with the forward/rearward direction, i.e., the optical axis direction. For example, the thickness is set to 0.07 mm. As shown in FIG. 10, the first biasing blade spring 35 is integrally formed with a holding portion 36, four spring portions 37, four attachment portions 38, and connection portions 39.

The holding portion 36 is formed in a ring-shape.

The spring portion 37 is formed into a form substantially equal to a letter “S” lying horizontally, one end of which extends to a respective one of the positions that are positioned at the same interval in the circumference direction of the holding portion 36. The spring portion 37 is formed with an inclined portion 37 a slightly projecting from the holding portion 36 in a radial direction, three parallel line portions 37 b extending vertically, and arc-shaped curve portions 37 c which interconnect the adjacent line portions 37 b. An end of the line portion 37 b located in the innermost portion is extended to an end of the inclined portion 37 a.

The attachment portions 38 are elongated in the right and left direction, and each outer end is extended to a respective one of the ends of the line portions 37 b located in the outermost part.

The connection portions 39 are formed with horizontal portions 39 a extending in the right and left direction, and perpendicular portions 39 b slightly extending vertically, in which one end of a respective one of the perpendicular sections extends to a respective one of the right and left ends of the horizontal portions 39 a. The other end of each one of the perpendicular portions 39 b extends to an inner end of a respective one of the attachment portions 38 The connection portions 39 are located such that the horizontal portions 39 a are closer to the holding portion 36 than to the attachment portions 38.

Since the spring portions 37 are axisymmetric in the vertical direction and also axisymmetric in the left-right direction, the first biasing blade spring 35 is configured such that each of the spring portions 37 provides the same spring force.

In the first biasing blade spring 35, the spring portions 37 are elastically deformed in the forward/rearward bending direction. Accordingly, the holding portion 36 moves in the forward/rearward direction with respect to the attachment portions 38, i.e., in the optical axis direction. Force produced during the movement in the plane orthogonal to the optical axis is refrained by the line portions 37 b and the curve portions 37 c, thus allowing the holding portion 36 to move only in the optical axis direction.

The first biasing blade spring 35 is attached to the lens barrel 11 such that the attachment portions 38 are respectively held by the spring holding surfaces 14 c of the first member 12 and the spring holding surfaces 32 a of the second member 13.

When the first biasing blade spring 35 is not elastically deformed, the first biasing blade spring 35 is configured such that surfaces in the thickness direction of each one of the holding portion 36, the spring portions 37, the attachment portions 38, and the connection portions 39 are respectively positioned in the same planes. In other words, the first biasing blade spring 35 may be formed simply by processing a plate-like material, thus making manufacturing thereof easy.

The second biasing blade spring 40 is attached to the lens barrel 11 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

The second biasing blade spring 40 is formed of a metal material which has elasticity, such as beryllium, copper, etc. The thickness direction of the second biasing blade spring 40 may be matched or substantially matched with the forward/rearward direction, i.e., the optical axis direction, except for the connecting terminal portion to be described later. The thickness is set to 0.05 mm, for example. The second biasing blade spring 40 is formed with two spring members 41 having a shape axisymmetric in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 11, the spring member 41 is integrally formed with a holding portion 42, two spring portions 43, two attachment portions 44, a connecting terminal portion 45, and a coil connecting portion 46.

The holding portion 42 is formed in a semi-ring shape.

The spring portion 43 is formed into a form substantially equal to a letter “S”, one end of which extends to a respective one of the portions, which are separated at the same interval in the circumference direction of the holding portion 42. The spring portion 43 is formed with an inclined section 43 a slightly projecting from the holding portion 42 in a radial direction, three parallel line portions 43 b extending in the right and left direction, and arc-shaped curve portions 43 c which interconnect the adjacent line portions 43 b. An end of the line portion 43 b located in the innermost portion is extended to an end of the inclined section 43 a.

Each of the attachment portions 44 is extended to an end of a respective one of the line portions 43 b, one end of which is located in the outermost position. Positioning holes 44 a are formed in the attachment portions 44, respectively.

The connecting terminal portion 45 is extended to one attachment portion 44 and bent by approximately 90 degrees to this attachment portion 44, and it projects rearward.

The coil connecting portion 46 projects in the radial direction from a circumferentially central portion of the holding portion 42, and is it provided in the central portion between portions respectively connecting the holding portion 42 and the spring portions 43.

Since the spring portions 43 are axisymmetric in the vertical direction and also axisymmetric in the left-right direction, the second biasing blade spring 40 is configured such that each of the spring portions 43 may provide the same spring force.

In the second biasing blade spring 40, the spring portions 43 are elastically deformed in the forward/rearward bending direction so that the holding portion 42 moves in the forward/rearward direction with respect to the attachment portions 44, i.e. in the optical axis direction. Force produced during the movement in the plane orthogonal to the optical axis is restrained by the line portions 43 b and the curve sections 43 c, thus allowing the holding portion 42 to move only in the optical axis direction.

A thickness of the second biasing blade spring 40 is thinner than a thickness of the first biasing blade spring 35, and a spring force of the first biasing blade spring 35 is larger than a spring force of the second biasing blade spring 40.

The second biasing blade spring 40 is attached to the lens barrel 11 such that each of the positioning pins 30 of the second member 13 is inserted into one respective positioning hole 44 a formed at the attachment portions 44, and the attachment portions 44 are held by the first member 12 and the second member 13.

When the second biasing blade spring 40 is not being elastically deformed, the second biasing blade spring 40 is configured such that surfaces in the thickness direction of each one of the holding portions 42, the spring portions 43, the attachment portions 44, and the coil connection portions 46 are respectively positioned in the same planes. When the connecting terminal portions 45 of the second biasing blade spring 40 are not being bent by approximately 90 degrees with respect to the attachment portions 44, surfaces in the thickness direction of each of the connecting terminal portions 45 and surfaces in the thickness direction of each one of the attachment portion 44 are respectively positioned in the same planes. Accordingly, the second biasing blade spring 40 may be formed by simply processing a plate-like material, thus making the manufacturing thereof easy.

A yoke 47 is provided inside the lens barrel 11 (see FIGS. 3, 4, and 6). The yoke 47 is formed of a magnetic metal material, and formed with a base 47 a formed in a ring, a perimeter portion 47 b projecting rearward from a perimeter of this base 47 a, and an inner periphery portion 47 c projecting rearward from an inner periphery of the base 47 a.

A drive magnet 48 is provided inside the yoke 47. The drive magnet 48 is formed with four portions 48 a formed in the same shape and the same size, and it is mounted in the yoke 47 such that each of the portions 48 a is in contact with the base 47 a and the perimeter portion 47 b of the yoke 47 (see FIG. 6).

A movable section 49 is arranged inside the lens barrel 11 in such a way that the movable section 49 is allowed to move in the optical axis direction. The movable section 49 has a lens holder 50, a drive coil 51, and a coil holder 52 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

As shown in FIG. 12, the lens holder 50 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and is provided at its front end with a positioning ring section 50 a. Holding ribs 50 b are provided in the positions closer to the front end of a perimeter of the lens holder 50 at regularly spaced intervals in a circumferential direction. Front edges of the holding ribs 50 b are connected with a trailing edge of the positioning ring section 50 a. Surfaces of the holding ribs 50 b connecting to the trailing edge of the positioning ring section 50 a are formed as contact surfaces 50 c perpendicular to the optical axis direction. A trailing edge of the lens holder 50 is provided with mating projections 50 d, which are circumferentially spaced from each other.

A plurality of movable lenses which collectively function as a focal lens, a lens block 53 which has a fixed iris diaphragm, etc. are mounted inside the lens holder 50 (see FIGS. 3 and 6).

The drive coil 51 is wound and formed into a ring, and its outer diameter is smaller than an outer diameter of the drive magnet 48 (see FIGS. 3, 4, and 6).

The coil holder 52 is thin and formed into a substantially ring-shape. Circumferentially spaced mating recesses 52 a are formed at an inner periphery (see FIG. 12). A rear surface of the coil holder 52 is provided with a positioning ring section 52 b (see FIG. 13). Both upper and lower ends of the coil holder 52 are respectively provided with projections 52 c for coil winding, which are respectively projected upward and downward.

The movable section 49 is configured such that the lens holder 50 to which the drive coil 51 and the lens block 53 are attached is mounted to the coil holder 52 (see FIGS. 3 and 14). The drive coil 51 is attached to a perimeter portion at the front of the coil holder 52. Being attached to the coil holder 52, each end is wound around a respective one of the coil winding projections 52 c of the coil holder 52 (see FIGS. 13 and 14). The lens holder 50 is mounted to the coil holder 52 as the mating projections 50 d are fitted into the mating recesses 52 a, respectively.

The movable section 49 is held by the holding portion 36 of the first biasing blade spring 35 and the holding portions 42 of the second biasing blade spring 40 (see FIG. 14).

As shown in FIG. 14, the holding portion 36 of the first biasing blade spring 35 is fitted onto the positioning ring section 50 a and brought into abutment with the contact surfaces 50 c of the holding ribs 50 b, thus being attached to the lens holder 50. As shown in FIG. 13, the holding portions 42 of the second biasing blade spring 40 are fitted onto the positioning ring section 52 b and brought into abutment with to the rear surface of the coil holder 52, thus being attached to this coil holder 52.

When the second biasing blade spring 40 is attached to the coil holder 52, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the coil connecting portions 46 of the second biasing blade spring 40 are respectively adjacent to the coil winding projections 52 c of the coil holder 52. Each end of the drive coil 51, which is wound around a respective one of the coil winding projections 52 c, is connected to a respective one of the coil connecting portions 46 by solder 58.

A shading sheet 59 and an imaging section 60 are attached to the second member 13 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

The shading sheet 59 has a through hole 59 a in the central part, and it is disposed and attached at the mounting recess 26 formed at the back 23 a of the second member 13 (see FIG. 6).

The imaging section 60 is formed with an imager housing 61, a control circuit board 62, an imager device 63, and a cover 64.

A shallow recess 61 a opening forward is formed at the imager housing 61, and the imager device 63 is arranged at this recess 61 a. For example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) may be used as the imager device 63.

The control circuit board 62 is a circuit board for controlling the imager device 63 and supplying a current to the drive coil 51. A right end portion of the board is provided with connecting portions 62 a which are vertically spaced and project forward (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The control circuit board 62 is attached to the rear surface of the imager housing 61, and the second member 13 of the control circuit board 62 is positioned by positioning projections 28 which are provided for the second member 13, when the control circuit board 62 is attached to the imager housing 61.

The cover 64 is attached to the front of the imager housing 61, and protects the imager device 63.

The imaging section 60 is attached to a rear surface 13 a of the second member 13 after the shading sheet 59 is attached.

Below, an assembling procedure for the imaging unit 10 will be described.

First, the second biasing blade spring 40 is assembled to the second member 13. As described above, the assembly of the second biasing blade spring 40 to the second member 13 is carried out by respectively inserting the positioning pins 30 of the second member 13 into the positioning holes 44 a, which are formed at the attachment portions 44 of the respective spring members 41. At this time, the connecting terminal portions 45 of the second biasing blade spring 40 are disposed at the terminal mounting sections 31 of the second member 13, respectively.

Next, the movable section 49 is assembled to the second biasing blade spring 40. In a situation where the movable section 49 is assembled to the second biasing blade spring 40, the movable section 49 is held by the holding portions 42 of the second biasing blade spring 40, as described above.

Subsequently, the yoke 47 to which the drive magnet 48 is attached is assembled to the second member 13. The yoke 47 is assembled by fitting into the second member 13. The yoke 47 is positioned such that its trailing end is in abutment with a predetermined portion inside the second member 13 (see FIG. 6). Having the yoke 47 mounted to the second member 13, the drive coil 51 is positioned between the inner periphery portion 47 c of the yoke 47 and the drive magnet 48.

Accordingly, the linear actuator 65 is formed with the yoke 47, the drive magnet 48, and the drive coil 51, by arranging the drive coil 51 between the inner periphery portion 47 c of the yoke 47 and the drive magnet 48 (see FIG. 6).

Next, the first biasing blade spring 35 is assembled to the movable section 49. As described above, the assembly of the first biasing blade spring 35 to the movable section 49 is carried out by fitting the holding portion 36 onto the positioning ring section 50 a, and bringing it into abutment with the contact surfaces 50 c of the holding ribs 50 b Having the first biasing blade spring 35 assembled to the movable section 49, the attachment portions 38 of the first biasing blade spring 35 are positioned on the spring holding surfaces 32 a which are respective front ends of the protrusions 32 of the second member 13.

Subsequently, the first member 12 is assembled to the second member 13, combining the first member 12 and the second member 13. The assembly of the first member 12 to the second member 13 is carried out by inserting and fitting the positioning pins 30 of the second member 13 into the positioning sections 20 a and 22 a of the first member 12, respectively.

As described above, the positioning pins 30 are inserted into the positioning holes 44 a of the second biasing blade spring 40, respectively. Accordingly, the positioning pins 30 have a function of combining and positioning three members, which are the second biasing blade spring 40, the first member 12, and the second member 13. Accordingly, it is possible to improve the accuracy of positioning the second biasing blade spring 40, the first member 12 and the second member 13, and to reduce the number of components by sharing the positioning pins 30

In the example described above, the second member 13 is provided with the positioning pins 30, and the positioning sections 20 a and 22 a into which the positioning pins 30 are inserted are formed at the first member 12. Alternatively, the first member 12 may be provided with positioning pins, and positioning sections into which the positioning pins are inserted may be formed at the second member 13. In this case, for example, the positioning holes into which the positioning pins are inserted may be formed in the first biasing blade spring 35 without forming the positioning holes 44 a in the second biasing blade spring 40.

After the first member 12 and the second member 13 are combined, one projection 24 of the second member 13 may be inserted between the upper ends of the projections 15 of the first member 12, and the other projection 24 of the second member 13 may be inserted between the lower ends of the projections 15 of the first member 12, whereby the projections 15 and 24 form a square tube-shaped portion.

Accordingly, the lens barrel 11 is easy to assemble, and the movable section 49 whose outer shape is substantially circular or round when viewed along the optical axis direction is constructed to be enclosed in the box-like lens barrel 11, so that the imaging unit 10 including the lens unit 10 a may be made a smaller size. Furthermore, since the lens barrel 11 is formed into the box-shaped structure that is formed with the base side sections 14, 23 and the projections 15, 24, it is possible to realize a structure having less gaps or clearance, thus preventing dirt from entering inside the lens barrel 11.

As mentioned above, when the first member 12 and the second member 13 are combined, the attachment portions 38 of the first biasing blade spring 35 are sandwiched and held by the spring holding surfaces 14 c of the first member 12 and the spring holding surfaces 32 a of the second member 13. Simultaneously, the attachment portions 44 of the second biasing blade spring 40 are pressed against the spring receiving surfaces 23 c of the second member 13, and held by the spring receiving surfaces 20 b and 22 b of the upper projections 20 and the lower projections 22 of the first member 12.

Thus, the attachment portions 38 of the first biasing blade spring 35 and the attachment portions 44 of the second biasing blade spring 40 are held by the first member 12 and the second member 13, and therefore a process, such as adhesion, is not particularly necessary in order to attach the first biasing blade spring 35 and the second biasing blade spring 40 to the lens barrel 11. Accordingly, it is possible to improve the flexibility of operation in a process of assembling the imaging unit 10 including the lens unit 10 a.

Furthermore, since the attachment portions 38 of the first biasing blade spring 35 are held and fixed by the base side section 14 of the first member 12 and the projections 24 of the second member 13, and since the attachment portions 44 of the second biasing blade spring 40 are held and fixed by the base side portion 23 of the second member 13 and the projections 15 of the first member 12, the fixing positions (with respect to the lens barrel 11) of the first biasing blade spring 35 and the second biasing blade spring 40 are different and orthogonal to each other, whereby the first biasing blade spring 35 and the second biasing blade spring 40 can be attached easily, without making the first member 12 and the second member 13 into a complicated structure.

Next, the cover glass 34 is attached to the first member 12, and the shading sheet 59 and the imaging section 60 are attached to the second member 13. It should be noted that the attachment of the cover glass 34 to the first member 12 may be carried out, before assembling the first biasing blade spring 35, the second biasing blade spring 40, the movable section 49, etc.

Next, the connecting portions 62 a of the imaging section 60 attached to the second member 13 are respectively connected with the connecting terminal portions 45 of the second biasing blade spring 40 by way of soldering or the like.

After the first member 12 and the second member 13 are combined and the lens barrel 11 is formed, the mating projections 16 of the first member 12 are inserted and fitted between the protrusions 32 of the second member 13 (see FIG. 5).

The mating projections 25 of the second member 13 are respectively inserted and fitted between the upper projections 20 of the first member 12 and the lower projections 22, while front ends of the mating projections 25 are located apart from the front end of the middle projections 21 (see FIG. 15). Accordingly, a cross-shaped opening which communicates with the inside of the lens barrel 11 is formed among the mating projections 25 and the middle projections 21. This opening serves as adhesion holes 66. The perimeter portion 47 b of the yoke 47 is located in the position corresponding to the adhesion holes 66 (see FIG. 6).

Furthermore, when the first member 12 and the second member 13 are combined, a predetermined space 67 is formed between the rear surface 14 b of the base side section 14 of the first member 12 and the base 47 a of the yoke 47. This space 67 communicates with the adhesion holes 66 (see FIG. 6).

Adhesives 68 are injected and applied to the adhesion holes 66 formed at the lens barrel 11. The adhesives 68 may be ultraviolet curing type adhesives, for example.

The adhesives 68 applied to the adhesion holes 66 penetrate through the adhesion holes 66 into the space 67 formed between rear surface 14 b of the base side section 14 and base 47 a of the yoke 47. As the adhesives 68 in the adhesion holes 66 are hardened, three members, which are the first member 12, the second member 13 and the yoke 47, are adhered together (see FIG. 6). Further, the first member 12 and the yoke 47 are adhered together as the adhesives 68 are cured in the space 67.

As described above, the lens unit 10 a is configured such that the first member 12, the second member 13 and the yoke 47 are adhered together by the adhesives 68 applied to the adhesion holes 66, and the first member 12 and the yoke 47 are adhered together by the adhesives 68 that have penetrated into the space 67. Accordingly, the bonding strength among the first member 12, the second member 13 and the yoke 47 is high, and the anti-vibration performance and the drop-and-impact strength may be improved.

Further, the adhesion holes 66 are formed into a cross-shape, respectively, thus leading to an improvement in bonding strength.

Alternatively, an epoxy resin adhesive may be used as the adhesives 68. However, when the epoxy resin adhesive is used, there is a drawback. Although a two part adhesive has a high cure rate, its management is troublesome. There is also a drawback with a one part adhesive. Although its management is easy, its cure rate is low. As mentioned above, therefore, by using the ultraviolet curing adhesive as the adhesives 68, it is possible to facilitate the management of the adhesive and shorten an adhesion process. Especially, when the epoxy resin adhesive is used, it needs the cure time of 30 minutes or more. However, the ultraviolet curing adhesive needs the cure time of from 5 seconds to 30 seconds, which considerably shortens the time required for the process of assembling the imaging unit 10 including the lens unit 10 a.

Further, when a one-part thermosetting epoxy-resin adhesive is used, this may lead to the problem that not only is the cure time longer but also a dedicated heat treat furnace is needed. Accordingly, the manufacture cost may be higher, and the heat treatment may cause the lens to be eccentric, etc. However, it is possible to avoid these problems by using ultraviolet curing adhesives as the adhesives 68.

In general, it is known that an ultraviolet curing adhesive has smaller bonding strength with a metal compared with that of a resin. However, it is possible to fix the yoke 47 firmly to the lens barrel 11 since the adhesive 68 allows adhesion between the first member 12 and the second member 13 which are both formed of the resin material, in addition to adhesion between the yoke 47 formed of a metal material and the first member 12 and the second member 13 formed of a resin material, as described above.

In the lens unit 10 a, since the positioning sections 20 a, 22 a formed in the upper projections 20 and the lower projections 22 of the first member 12 are each arranged to have a concaved-shape and open to the lateral direction, the positioning pins 30 inserted into the positioning sections 20 a, 22 a are exposed outside. Accordingly, after combining the first member 12 and the second member 13, it is possible to carry out the adhesion at the combined portions respectively between the positioning sections 20 a, 22 a and the positioning pins 30. As described above, by carrying out the adhesion at the combined portions respectively between the positioning sections 20 a, 22 a and the positioning pins 30, it is possible to fix the first member 12 and the second member 13 together firmly.

As described above, the assembly of the imaging unit 10 is completed by combining and adhering the first member 12 with the second member 13.

As described above, the assembly of the imaging unit 10 may be carried out such that the shading sheet 59 and the imaging section 60 are attached to the second member 13, and the second biasing blade spring 40, the movable section 49, the yoke 47 to which the drive magnet 48 is mounted, the first biasing blade spring 35, and the first member 12 are assembled to the second member 13 in that order. Accordingly, the assembling work of the imaging unit 10 containing lens unit 10 a may be easily performed, thus enabling a reduction in work hours.

In the imaging unit 10 thus assembled, the lens barrel 11 has a substantially rectangular shape and the movable section 49 has a substantially circular shape when viewed along the optical axis direction (see FIGS. 16 and 17). In this situation, the spring portions 37 of the first biasing blade spring 35 and the spring portions 43 of the second biasing blade spring 40, are located at the four corners within the lens barrel 11.

Accordingly, the spring portions 37 and 43 need the minimum arrangement space, thus enabling the achievement of a reduction of size of the imaging unit 10 including the lens unit 10 a.

In the imaging unit 10 thus assembled, the spring force of the first biasing blade spring 35 is larger than the spring force of the second biasing blade spring 40, as described above. Accordingly, when the linear actuator 65 is not in operation where the drive coil 51 is not supplied with current, the movable section 49 is biased by way of a biasing force of the first biasing blade spring 35 toward the imaging section 60 side (back) in the optical axis direction, and the coil holder 52 is brought into contact with the pedestals 29 a of the second member 13, and is held at the infinite point when focusing, as shown in FIG. 6. In this infinite point, the first biasing blade spring 35 is arranged such that the holding portion 36 is located in front of the attachment portions 38, and the second biasing blade spring 40 is arranged such that the holding portions 42 are located behind the attachment portions 44

It should be noted that, in order to eliminate the influences of a pixel pitch or the sensitivity of a lens and locate the movable section 49 at the infinite point, the imaging section 60 may be adjusted by moving it in a forward/rearward direction with respect to the second member 13 while the coil holder 52 is in contact with the pedestals 29 a of the second member 13.

Generally, it is often the case that a user of the imaging apparatus 1 uses the apparatus 1 in a situation where the movable section 49 is at the infinite point rather than the macro end. Accordingly, as mentioned above, by always holding the movable section 49 in the infinite point by way of the biasing force of the first biasing blade spring 35 when the linear actuator 65 is not in operation, no electric power is necessary to reach to the infinite point, i.e. the frequently-used state, thus reducing electric power consumption to a minimum.

If it is assumed that the movable section is held more at the macro end than the infinite point, the spring force of the second biasing blade spring 40 may be made greater than the spring force of the first biasing blade spring 35. According to this configuration, the movable section 49 may be always held at the macro end by way of the biasing force of the second biasing blade spring 40 when the linear actuator 65 is not in operation, thereby enabling a reduction in electric power consumption at which the user uses more often.

An example of the use of the imaging apparatus 1 at the macro end may be a case of when reading information on various displays for identifying a one-dimensional bar code, two-dimensional bar codes 1000 and 2000 as shown in FIG. 2, etc.

When using the imaging apparatus 1 as a portable device, depending on the direction in which the imaging apparatus 1 is held, an orientation change may arise in the movable section 49. However, as for the infinite point which may be more frequently used, as mentioned above, since the movable section 49 is pushed and held against the second member 13 by way of the biasing force of the first biasing blade spring 35, the orientation change in the movable section 49 is unlikely to take place, thus improving the quality of the image.

In order to drive the linear actuator 65, the current is supplied to the drive coil 51. This supplying of the current is carried out through the control circuit board 62 of the imaging section 60 and the second biasing blade spring 40. In one example, the second biasing blade spring 40 may also serve as current supplying means in addition to the role of biasing the movable section 49. Accordingly, no dedicated means is required in the lens unit 10 a in order to supply the current to the drive coil 51, thus enabling to a reduction in the number of components.

When the current is supplied to the drive coil 51 in a predetermined direction, the linear actuator 65 drives the movable section 49 toward a target object to be imaged (to front side) in the optical axis direction, to a position corresponding to a magnitude of voltage (see FIG. 18). The movable section 49 may be moved up to the macro end where the lens holder 50 is brought into contact with the pedestals 19 a of the first member 12. In this macro end, the first biasing blade spring 35 is arranged such that the holding portion 36 is located in front of the attachment portions 38, and the second biasing blade spring 40 is arranged such that the holding portions 42 are located behind the attachment portions 44. However, the amounts of deformation of the spring portions 37, 43 change as the movable section 49 moves forward. The positions (in the optical axis direction) between the holding portion 36 and the attachment portions 38 are spaced apart further, compared with those in the infinite point, and the respective positions (in the optical axis direction) between the holding portions 42 and the attachment portions 44 are brought closer together compared with those in the infinite point.

When the current supply to the drive coil 51 is turned off, the movable section 49 is moved rearward by way of the biasing force of the first biasing blade spring 35.

In the imaging apparatus 1 mentioned above, by supplying the current to the drive coil 51, the movable section 49 is moved toward the target object side (forward) in the optical axis direction, and by stopping the current supply to the drive coil 51, the movable section 49 is moved toward the imaging section 60 side (rearward) in the optical axis direction. Accordingly, the current supply to the drive coil 51 may be only in one direction, making it easy to control and enabling to savings in power consumption during focusing operation.

In addition, the example given above is on in which the first biasing blade spring 35 and the second biasing blade spring 40 which are formed of the same material, are made different in thickness so that the spring force of the first biasing blade spring 35 is greater than the spring force of the second biasing blade spring 40. However, the method of making the spring force of the first biasing blade spring 35 larger than the spring force of the second biasing blade spring 40 is not limited to a method in which both springs are formed with the same material but are different in thickness. Alternatively, various types of methods may be used, such as changing materials to form springs, changing the form and width of spring portion, etc.

As described above, in the lens unit 10 a, the movable section 49 is held by the first biasing blade spring 35 and the second biasing blade spring 40. A movement force produced at the movable section 49 in the plane orthogonal to the optical axis is restrained by the line portions 37 b and the curve sections 37 c of the spring portions 37 of the first biasing blade spring 35, as well as also being restrained by the line portion 43 b and the curve sections 43 c of the spring portions 43 of the second biasing blade spring 40, whereby the movable section 49 may be moved in the optical axis direction without causing an inclination or shift with respect to the optical axis.

Further, since the lens unit 10 a of the embodiments does not require guide means, such as a guide shaft for moving the movable section 49 in the optical axis direction, it is possible to simplify its mechanism and to achieve the reduction in size by reducing the space required for arrangement.

Furthermore, the first biasing blade spring 35 and the second biasing blade spring 40 are located on opposite sides of the movable section 49, apart from each other in the optical axis direction. In other words, the movable section 49 is in between the biasing blade springs. Furthermore, the movable section 49 is moved while being biased rearward by the first biasing blade spring 35 and biased forward by the second biasing blade spring 40. Accordingly, the movable section 49 may be moved to and held at a new position with a high position of accuracy.

Still further, since the spring portions 37, 43 of the first biasing blade spring 35 and the second biasing blade spring 40 are formed into a shape substantially equal to a letter “S”, respectively having the line portions 37 b, 43 b and the curve portions 37 c, 43 c, the spring portions 37, 43 may be increased in length within a small space. Accordingly, it is possible to ensure a sufficient amount of deformation in the spring portions 37, 43 for a movement stroke of the movable section 49 while ensuring a reduction in size of the imaging unit 10 including the lens unit 10 a.

Furthermore, in the lens unit 10 a, the first biasing blade spring 35 is configured such that the line portions 37 b of the spring portions 37 extend vertically, and the second biasing blade spring 40 are configured to be rotated about the optical axis by 90 degrees with respect to the first biasing blade spring 35 such that the line portions 43 b of the spring portions 43 extend in the horizontal direction. Accordingly, the movement force produced at the movable section 49 in the plane orthogonal to the optical axis may be restrained efficiently.

Next, relationships between gravity produced in the movable section 49 and the spring force of the first biasing blade spring 35, etc. will be described (see FIG. 19).

As described above, since the imaging apparatus 1 may be used also as a portable device, its orientation may change depending on a condition of use.

For example, as the optical axis direction is brought into agreement with the perpendicular direction (vertical direction), the first biasing blade spring 35 having a strong spring force may be located below and the second biasing blade spring 40 having a weak spring force may be located above.

As shown in FIG. 19, also in this state, the movable section 49 is biased by a biasing force P1 of the first biasing blade spring 35 toward the second biasing blade spring 40 side (upward), and the movable section 49 is biased by a biasing force P2 of the second biasing blade spring 40 toward the first biasing blade spring 35 side (downward). However, in the first biasing blade spring 35, the second biasing blade spring 40, and the movable section 49, perpendicular and downward gravities G1, G2, and G3 are respectively produced, which are in agreement with the optical axis direction.

In such a situation, in the imaging apparatus 1, an upward biasing force Ps obtained by subtracting the biasing force P2 of the second biasing blade spring 40 from the biasing force P1 of the first biasing blade spring 35, is set such that it is larger than the total of gravities Gt (=G1+G2+G3). Accordingly, even if the drive coil 51 is not supplied with the current, the movable section 49 may be held reliably in the infinite point regardless of the use condition of the imaging apparatus 1 since the movable section 49 is always pushed against the moving edge on the imaging section 60 side by means of the first biasing blade spring 35 irrespective of the orientation at which the imaging apparatus 1 is used.

In addition, as the movable section 49 moves in the optical axis direction, the biasing force Ps obtained by subtracting the biasing force P2 of the second biasing blade spring 40 from the biasing force P1 of the first biasing blade spring 35 changes with the amount of deformation of the spring portions 37 of the first biasing blade spring 35 and the spring portions 43 of the second biasing blade spring 40. The biasing force Ps may be set to, for example, twice the total of gravity Gt when the movable section 49 is at the infinite point t. The biasing force Ps may be set to, for example, 5 times through 10 times the total of gravity Gt when the movable section 49 is located at the macro end.

Below, a modification of the biasing blade spring will be described (see FIGS. 20 through 25). It should be noted that the first modification and the second modification are each shown schematically in FIGS. 20 and 21.

As shown in FIG. 20, each of the biasing blade springs 69 in accordance with the first modification has a holding portion 69 a, spring portions 69 b and an attachment portion 69 c. The spring portions 69 b are located diagonally with respect to the holding portions 69 a. Positions of the spring portions 69 b of one biasing blade spring 69 are respectively rotationally spaced apart by 90 degrees from positions of the spring portions 69 b of the other biasing blade spring 69 in a direction of rotation about the optical axis.

With a simple structure in which the biasing blade springs 69 mentioned above are used, the movable section 49 may be moved in the optical axis direction, without causing the movable section 49 to incline or shift with respect to the optical axis.

As shown in FIG. 21, the biasing blade spring 70 in accordance with the second modification has a holding portion 70 a, spring portions 70 b and an attachment portion 70 c. The spring portions 70 b are connected to the holding portion 70 a at the same interval in the direction of rotation about the optical axis.

By using the biasing blade spring 70 as mentioned above, the movable section 49 may be moved in the optical axis direction, without causing the movable section 49 to incline or shift with respect to the optical axis with a simple structure.

As shown in FIG. 22, a biasing blade spring 71 in accordance with the third modification has a holding portion 71 a, a spring portion 71 b and an attachment portion 71 c, and the spring portion 71 b is formed substantially in a shape of a rectangle.

As shown in FIG. 23, a biasing blade spring 72 in accordance with the fourth modification has a holding portion 72 a, a spring portion 72 b and an attachment portion 72 c, and the spring portion 72 b is formed into a form substantially equal to a letter “Z”.

As shown in FIG. 24, a biasing blade spring 73 in accordance with the fifth modification has a holding portion 73 a, a spring portion 73 b and an attachment portion 73 c, and the spring portion 73 b is formed into a form substantially equal to a letter “W”.

As shown in FIG. 25, a biasing blade spring 74 in accordance with the sixth modification has a holding portion 74 a, a spring portion 74 b and an attachment portion 74 c, and the spring portion 74 b is formed spirally.

By using the biasing blade springs 71, 72, 73, and 74 as mentioned above, the movable section 49 may be moved in the optical axis direction, without causing the movable section 49 to incline or shift with respect to the optical axis with a simple structure.

Furthermore, especially in the biasing blade spring 73 in accordance with the fifth modification and the biasing blade spring 74 in accordance with the sixth modification, lengths of the spring portions 73 b and 74 b may be lengthened within small spaces, thus achieving a reduction in size of the imaging unit 10 including the lens unit 10 a and an increase in the amounts of deformation of the spring portions 73 b and 74 b.

It should be noted that in the biasing blade springs 69 in accordance with the first above-mentioned modification and the biasing blade spring 70 in accordance with the second modification, the spring portions 69 b, 70 b are schematically shown in FIGS. 20 and 21. However, shapes of the spring portions 69 b, 70 b may have a form substantially equal to a letter “S” like the first biasing blade spring 35 and the second biasing blade spring 40. Further, it is possible to use any of a rectangle, a letter “Z”, a letter “W”, a spiral shape and any form substantially similar to any of the previous forms or shapes, as in the biasing blade spring 71 in accordance with the third modification through the biasing blade spring 74 in accordance with the sixth modification.

Further, the above-mentioned shapes of respective spring portions are merely examples, and their shapes are not limited thereto, and a spring portion of any shape may be employed, provided it acts as a blade spring and has a shape allowing a biasing force against the movable section 49.

Although examples are explained above in which the lens unit 10 a employs focal drive, the lens unit 10 a may also employ zooming drive.

Further, as shown in FIG. 26, the embodiments of the present invention may also be used for an imaging apparatus 1A which performs focal drive and zooming drive. An example of such an imaging apparatus 1A will be described in the following:

The imaging apparatus 1A has the lens units 10 a provided within an outer lens barrel 75. The lens unit 10 a disposed at the front side is for zooming, and the lens unit 10 a disposed at the rear side is for focusing. The imaging section 60 is provided at the rear end of the outer lens barrel 75.

A first lens 76 is mounted to the front end of the outer lens barrel 75 as a first lens group, and a second lens 77 is mounted inside the outer lens barrel 75 as a third lens group. The second lens 77 is disposed between the lens units 10 a. Accordingly, each movable lens of the movable section 49 of the lens unit 10 a on the front side functions as a second lens group, and each movable lens of the movable section 49 of the lens unit 10 a on the rear side functions as a fourth lens group.

In such an imaging apparatus 1A, by driving the linear actuator 65 of the lens unit 10 a to the front side, the movable section 49 is moved in the optical axis direction while being held with the first biasing blade spring 35 and the second biasing blade spring 40, thereby carrying out a zooming operation. By driving the linear actuator 65 of the lens unit 10 a to the rear side, the movable section 49 is moved in the optical axis direction while being held with the first biasing blade spring 35 and the second biasing blade spring 40, thereby carrying out a focusing operation.

The imaging apparatus 1A does not require guide means, such as a guide shaft. Accordingly, the mechanism of the imaging apparatus 1A may be simplified and the arrangement space therein may be reduced, to thereby achieve a reduction in size. Further, since the respective movable sections 49 are held with the first biasing blade springs 35 and the second biasing blade springs 40, the movable sections 49 may be moved in the optical axis direction, without causing the movable sections 49 to incline or shift with respect to the optical axis.

It should be noted that the vertical, forward/rearward directions as shown above are used for convenience of description, and are exclusive.

In the embodiment described above, the movable section is formed to have a substantially circular outer shape when viewed along the optical axis direction, the lens barrel is formed to have a substantially rectangular outer shape when viewed along the optical axis direction, and each of the spring portions of the biasing blade spring is located at a respective one of four corners in the lens barrel. Accordingly, the spring portions only require the minimum arrangement space, and the lens unit may be miniaturized.

In the embodiment described above, each spring portion of the biasing blade spring is formed into a form substantially equal to a letter “S”. Accordingly, a larger length of the spring portion may be secured within a small space, thus achieving a reduction of size of the lens unit while ensuring a sufficient amount of deformation of the spring portion for a movement stroke of the movable section.

In the embodiment described above, a pair of the biasing blade springs are provided on opposite sides of the movable section in the optical axis direction and spaced apart such that the movable section is placed between the biasing blade springs, and the pair of biasing blade springs is arranged so as to bias the movable section in such a way that the pair of biasing blade springs approaches each other in the optical axis direction. Accordingly, the movable section may be held at a new position after movement with a high positional accuracy.

In the embodiment described above, the spring portions of the pair of biasing blade springs are provided with line portions respectively extending in predetermined directions, and the pair of the biasing blade springs are configured such that the line portion of one biasing blade spring and the line portion of the other biasing blade spring are perpendicular to each other. Accordingly, any force produced at the movable section in the plane perpendicular to the optical axis may be restrained efficiently.

In the embodiment described above, the movable section is used as a movable section for focusing, the pair of biasing blade springs are configured to have different spring forces against the movable section, and the movable section is positioned at the infinite point by way of the biasing force of the biasing blade spring when the linear actuator is not in operation. Accordingly, it is possible to bring the lens unit to a frequently-used status (the infinite position) without consuming any electric power, thereby reducing power consumption to a minimum.

The present invention claims priority to its priority document No. 2005-037972 filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Feb. 15, 2005, the entire contents of which being incorporated by reference herein.

The particular shapes and structures of each portion as shown in the above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples of the embodiment performed when implementing the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is not construed exclusively by them. 

1. A lens unit comprising: a lens barrel in which an imaging optical system is disposed; a movable section including a movable lens and configured to be moved in an optical axis direction relative to the lens barrel; a linear actuator configured to move the movable section in the optical axis direction; and a biasing blade spring including a holding portion having at least a substantially circular configuration for holding the movable section, a plurality of spring portions connected to and disposed equiangularly about the holding portion and capable of being elastically deformed and biasing the movable section in the optical axis direction, and an attachment portion to be attached to the lens barrel, each spring portion having at least a pair of straight line sections and a bent section interconnecting the at least pair of straight line sections, the at least pair of straight line sections and the bent section being disposed between the circular holding portion and the attachment portion; wherein the plurality of spring portions of the biasing blade spring are configured to restrain a movement force produced at the movable section in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis.
 2. The lens unit according to claim 1, wherein: the movable section is formed to have a substantially circular outer shape when viewed along the optical axis direction; the lens barrel is formed to have a substantially rectangular outer shape when viewed along the optical axis direction; and each of the spring portions of the biasing blade spring is disposed at a respective one of four corners in the lens barrel.
 3. The lens unit according to claim 1, wherein: each of the spring portions is formed into a form substantially equal to a letter “S”.
 4. The lens unit according to claim 1, wherein: a pair of the biasing blade springs are provided on opposite sides of the movable section in the optical axis direction and spaced apart such that the movable section is positioned between the pair of biasing blade springs, the pair of biasing blade springs forcing the movable section such that the pair of the biasing blade springs approach each other in the optical axis direction.
 5. The lens unit according to claim 4, wherein: the spring portions of the pair of biasing blade springs are provided with line portions respectively extending in predetermined directions; and the pair of the biasing blade springs are configured such that the line portion of one biasing blade spring and the line portion of the other biasing blade spring are perpendicular to each other.
 6. A lens unit comprising: a lens barrel in which an imaging optical system is disposed; a movable section including a movable lens and configured to be moved in an optical axis direction relative to the lens barrel; a linear actuator configured to move the movable section in the optical axis direction; and a biasing blade spring including a holding portion for holding the movable section, a plurality of spring portions capable of being elastically deformed and biasing the movable section in the optical axis direction, and an attachment portion to be attached to the lens barrel; wherein the plurality of spring portions of the biasing blade spring are configured to restrain a movement force produced at the movable section in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis, wherein: a pair of the biasing blade springs are provided on opposite sides of the movable section in the optical axis direction and spaced apart such that the movable section is positioned between the pair of biasing blade springs, the pair of biasing blade springs forcing the movable section such that the pair of the biasing blade springs approach each other in the optical axis direction, and wherein: the movable section is used as a movable section for focusing, the pair of biasing blade springs are configured to have different spring forces against the movable section; and the movable section is positioned at an infinite point by way of a biasing force of the biasing blade spring if the linear actuator is not in operation.
 7. An imaging apparatus having an imager device and a lens unit in which an imaging optical system is provided in a lens barrel, the lens unit comprising: a movable section including a movable lens and configured to be moved in an optical axis direction relative to the lens barrel; a linear actuator configured to move the movable section in the optical axis direction; and a biasing blade spring including a holding portion having at least a substantially circular configuration for holding the movable section, a plurality of spring portions connected to and disposed equiangularly about the holding portion and capable of being elastically deformed and biasing the movable section in the optical axis direction, and an attachment portion to be attached to the lens barrel, each spring portion having at least a pair of straight line sections and a bent section interconnecting the at least pair of straight line sections, the at least pair of straight line sections and the bent section being disposed between the circular holding portion and the attachment portion; wherein the plurality of spring portions of the biasing blade spring are configured to restrain a movement force produced at the movable section in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis.
 8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: the movable section is formed to have a substantially circular outer shape when viewed along the optical axis direction; the lens barrel is formed to have a substantially rectangular outer shape when viewed along the optical axis direction; and each of spring portions of the biasing blade spring is located at a respective one of four corners in the lens barrel.
 9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: each of the spring portions of the biasing blade spring is formed into a form substantially equal to a letter “S”.
 10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: a pair of the biasing blade springs are provided on opposite sides of the movable section in the optical axis direction and spaced apart such that the movable section is positioned between the pair of biasing blade springs, the pair of biasing blade springs forcing the movable section such that the pair of the biasing blade springs approach each other in the optical axis direction.
 11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: the spring portions of the pair of biasing blade springs are provided with line portions respectively extending in predetermined directions; and the pair of the biasing blade springs are configured such that the line portion of one biasing blade spring and the line portion of the other biasing blade spring are perpendicular to each other.
 12. An imaging apparatus having an imager device and a lens unit in which an imaging optical system is provided in a lens barrel, the lens unit comprising: a movable section including a movable lens and configured to be moved in an optical axis direction relative to the lens barrel; a linear actuator configured to move the movable section in the optical axis direction; and a biasing blade spring including a holding portion for holding the movable section, a plurality of spring portions capable of being elastically deformed and biasing the movable section in the optical axis direction, and an attachment portion to be attached to the lens barrel; wherein the plurality of spring portions of the biasing blade spring are configured to restrain a movement force produced at the movable section in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis, wherein: a pair of the biasing blade springs are provided on opposite sides of the movable section in the optical axis direction and spaced apart such that the movable section is positioned between the pair of biasing blade springs, the pair of biasing blade springs forcing the movable section such that the pair of the biasing blade springs approach each other in the optical axis direction, and wherein: the movable section is used as a movable section for focusing, the pair of biasing blade springs are configured to have different spring forces against the movable section; and the movable section is positioned at an infinite point by way of a biasing force of the biasing blade spring if the linear actuator is not in operation.
 13. A lens unit comprising: a lens barrel in which an imaging optical system is disposed; a movable section including a movable lens and configured to be moved in an optical axis direction relative to the lens barrel; a linear actuator configured to move the movable section in the optical axis direction; and a biasing blade spring including a circular holding portion having at least a substantially circular configuration for holding the movable section, a plurality of spring portions connected to and disposed equiangularly about the holding portion and capable of being elastically deformed and biasing the movable section in the optical axis direction, and an attachment portion to be attached to the lens barrel, each spring portion having a spirally-formed section disposed between the circular holding portion and the attachment portion; wherein the plurality of spring portions of the biasing blade spring are configured to restrain a movement force produced at the movable section in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis. 